Loose Lips Breed Blips

Published on May 19, 2005 By stevendedalus In Politics

In face of the stupidity of the Army in even allowing Abu Ghraib to become and issue and the hundreds of leaks from alleged terrorists’ complaints of abuse at Guantanamo, it is obvious that Newsweek’s report is accurate. However, the point is that irrational exuberance of journalism when it adds to stirring up the enemy is not simply bad editorial judgment but undermines the war effort. Without condoning the treatment of war prisoners, journalists should realize that our troops who guard them are under unspeakable daily duress when dealing with fanatics who use their religion politically in order to incite the entire Islamic world, and thus the press is sucked into their devious strategy.

Loose lips breeds blips of utter consequences.

http://stevendedalus.joeuser.com

Comments

drmiler

on May 20, 2005

it is obvious that Newsweek’s report is accurate.

Do a little more reading....it's already been proven false!

Link

Nice try. Now try again.

Texas Wahine

on May 20, 2005

steven: Knowing what I do about US detention centers, I would agree that the Newsweek report was correct, and I agree completely with your assessment of the situation.

drmiler

on May 20, 2005

steven: Knowing what I do about US detention centers, I would agree that the Newsweek report was correct, and I agree completely with your assessment of the situation.

Read the link Tex. Newsweeks has already retracted their statement because it was proven false. So it's not correct.

Texas Wahine

on May 20, 2005

drmiler: I'm not talking about information from Newsweek. I've followed the Newsweek story. I'm talking about personal knowledge.

drmiler

on May 20, 2005

drmiler: I'm not talking about information from Newsweek. I've followed the Newsweek story. I'm talking about personal knowledge.

Ah but Tex your not in the military,and you husband is not stationed there is he? So making a blanket statement that the newsweek report was correct would be in error. And since newsweek has already said it was wrong about the goings on, your saying they were right which has been proven incorrect. Yes? And BTW since your not in the military and your husband isn't stationed there, you can not have personal knowledge of wrong doings.

Texas Wahine

on May 20, 2005

drmiler: Yes, my husband worked in a military detention center. I'm not going to go into details about what I know.

Texas Wahine

on May 20, 2005

And BTW since your not in the military and your husband isn't stationed there, you can not have personal knowledge of wrong doings.

And BTW, since you're not in the military and you're not stationed there, you can not be sure that it DIDN'T happen, can you?

drmiler

on May 20, 2005

And BTW since your not in the military and your husband isn't stationed there, you can not have personal knowledge of wrong doings.

And BTW, since you're not in the military and you're not stationed there, you can not be sure that it DIDN'T happen, can you?

No I can't. However, newsweek has said it didn't happen! So who am I to argue with them?

Texas Wahine

on May 20, 2005

I think the newsweek story *may* have been accurate, and they are only retracting it to appease the extremists they excited

That's pretty much my thoughts on it. You're right, drmiler, I don't know for certain that it DID happen because I was not there...however, the claim fits very well with what I know of what actually does go on in the detention centers. Coupled with the fact that Newsweek got the story from a government source who later rapidly retracted his claim, it seems very likely to me. So personally, I believe it happened. That's my opinion.

And I agree with steven that the media is playing dangerous games with military information. They can retract the story, but they can't bring the dead back to life or reverse the angry, suspicious climate that they have bolstered by their story, which may in fact lead to US military deaths.

It's an awful big price to pay to sell some magazines.

drmiler

on May 20, 2005

And I agree with steven that the media is playing dangerous games with military information. They can retract the story, but they can't bring the dead back to life or reverse the angry, suspicious climate that they have bolstered by their story, which may in fact lead to US military deaths.

It's an awful big price to pay to sell some magazines.

I'd have to agree on this too. But then the media idiots have been playing the same game for quite awhile. They have done it in EVERY conflict the US has ever been in.

Gideon MacLeish

on May 20, 2005

And BTW, since you're not in the military and you're not stationed there, you can not be sure that it DIDN'T happen, can you?

But not being sure it didn't happen is not a basis for REPORTING. Newsweek is responsible for reporting NEWS, not speculation. It's irresponsibility cost the lives of soldiers and will likely cost more.

I have questions about what our soldiers are doing, and I have no problem with exposing the FACTS of abuse and torture...when they are FACTS and not rumour. But what major news magazines and networks have done in recent months and years has called journalistic integrity in question at the expense of the majority of journalists who DO take the time to research their stories.

stevendedalus

on May 21, 2005

....it's already been proven false!

Not so. They simply got scared and retracted, in spite of its having merit.

the newsweek story *may* have been accurate, and they are only retracting it to appease the extremists they excited. Either that, or the entire thing was made up to make us look bad.

I agree. Newsweek retracted not because the story was untrue but that it realized it had made a terrible mistake in publishing it.

the media is playing dangerous games with military information. They can retract the story, but they can't bring the dead back to life or reverse the angry, suspicious climate that they have bolstered by their story, which may in fact lead to US military deaths.

Right on, Texaii.

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